“Cristiano Ronaldo crushes Mbappé and Neymar and ends PSG’s Champions League dream”

The admission of the Brazilian Thiago Silva was the big surprise in the starting line-up selected by Unai Emery. The young Frenchman Presnel Kimpembe starts alongside Marquinhos at centre-back. Marco Peratti returns in midfield after being rested on Friday. Edinson Cavani is also recalled. He completes a front three alongside Neymar and Mbappé that have 70 goals so far this season. Draxler and Di Maria are part of a very strong bench. Zinedine Zidane is a man under pressure, but he's a man with a magnificent track record with successive Champions League wins for Real Madrid. And Unai Emery the Spaniard back here with his Paris Saint-Germain team. Well, their last visit to Spain ended in that 6-1 demolition in Barcelona in last season's Last 16. It's a topic that's been discussed in depth in the Spanish press in the lead-up to tonight. And they've been asking how much this Real Madrid team has left at the sharp end of the Champions League after a season that's never really seen them hit top form. The Bernabeu, the perfect stage for the greatest players in the world to put on a show. So the dream match-up is underway. The holders against the pretenders in the last 16 of the Champions League. The glistening white kit of Real Madrid and Glenn Hoyt. Paris Saint-Germain left-hand side. Here's Neymar. Yuri Vachiccio. First time they've got him behind Real Madrid. And it was a cross-court shot in the end that didn't really do anything that Henneken Savani was looking for. Yeah, he didn't quite have the belief once he got in there. It was a lovely little run, but good play from Neymar. This time he decides to come inside him and then a cute little goal. But you feel this is where Paris Saint-Germain will get him down this level. He was in the starting line-up for PSG the night they beat Barcelona 4-0. And was absent for the 6-1 defeat in the Nou Camp. And there's a foul on Neymar by Nacho. Yeah, I think now the referee's saying that's the one. Ronaldo takes it quickly. Isco to Kroos. Shooting opportunity for the German. Delivered by the goalkeeper. And then Hector almost into his own net, I think by Marquinhos. Well, what a start from Real Madrid. Anticipation here in Madrid about this particular fixture in the Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo's on his way forward. Found by Isco. Whips that ball across the middle. Benzema was in there for Real Madrid. Who have made a really bright start here. That's a really good bit of play. Ronaldo, you think nowadays he wants it to FIFA. He's prepared to go in behind. Lovely ball from Isco. And just flashes it across the box. What a start from Real Madrid. Really good. Here's the run. This week in the Spanish press. A lot of people seeing this as a potential dress rehearsal for Neymar. Here's Marcelo. And now Benzema. Marcelo again. Can he go all the way? It was an important challenge in there by the PSG captain Marquinhos. And listen to the Bueno Valle. Corner to Real Madrid. Ronaldo takes it quickly. Isco launches the ball into the PSG penalty area. Isco won the header. And then goes onto it. Down he goes. Referee thought about it. He actually started to put the whistle towards his mouth and seemed to change his mind. He did, Darren. He did. Twice he nearly went to blow the whistle. And decided not to. Now you see the white shirts around him. It was similar in many ways, Glenn, to the penalty that Juventus were given early on against Tottenham last night. Yeah, it came up on the blind side a little bit, didn't it? There's the foul that is given, actually, to the referee. This is the penalty. He's onside as well. Marcelo picks up Dani Alves. He's got Edinson Cavani ahead of him. But Neymar coming in. And Nacho got there. The last touch was Neymar's touch. It's a goal kick here to Real Madrid. Just wonder whether he might have used an arm in there, Neymar. I think that's what the crowd are saying. Oh, it was. Nacho was hacked out there by Neymar. It's a ridiculous tackle from Neymar. He's going nowhere. He's on the halfway line. He's comfortably behind. Just took his legs away. Across the front post. There's a chance for Neymar to run and test his place against Nacho. And Cavani was coming in. And that'd be very important touch by Varane. Yeah, super, super defending. It was a fantastic ball to get Neymar in. And he's delivered it on a plate for Cavani. Just whipped away by Varane. Great defending. Causing PSG a problem early on. Ronaldo. In it goes from Marcelo. And the safe hands in there from Ariadna. The Paris Saint-Germain goal kick. There's Neymar for the French champions. Skips away from Casemiro. This is a brilliant run. Just needed a better finish, didn't it, from Neymar? Twinkling feet again. It's Neymar every time down this left side, isn't it? Comes inside again, which we've seen. Doesn't catch it. Snatches at it. And he tries to catch the keeper out on the near post. But slowly but surely, Paris just building some form. Building some patterns of play. Not myself, but it was great pressing from Verratti. Here's Marcelo, who switches the play superbly to Ronaldo. Ronaldo's in. Brilliant save by Ariadna. Well, it's hit his face. It's absolutely knocked him cold. But it's kept Paris Saint-Germain level. What a ball. What a ball from Marcelo. Absolutely fantastic pass. Surprised everyone in the stadium. Nobody saw it coming. He saw it. What a pass to Ronaldo. He knows. He said he's hit him in the face. And he knows as well. The keeper. What a pass this is. Look, he's had a glance. Bang! The keeper started to come. He thought, it's coming to me. No, it's not. Got a little bit of swag. There's Casemiro. Verratti was in there quickly. Rabiot can play it forward to Neymar. And still Neymar. Neymar twinkling the feet. Looking to tee up on Bape. And it was well read in there by Varane. Wonder why Neymar didn't pull the trigger. Well, I'm questioning that myself. But it was great pressing from Verratti. I suppose it helps when you've got a front three that have cost €466 million. Here's Isco. They're dispossessing Verratti. And then that's a foul. There's Lo Celso. Okay, charging in. And it's a free kick here to Real Madrid. Glenn in a really good position. He's trying to make up for his mistake. He's made a little backheel that he really doesn't need to make. And he's been booked for it because he's tried to put a defender behind the wall on the floor so that if they are going to jump there's somebody there to try and block the ball if they jump up and it goes under the wall. It's Cristiano Ronaldo. And there was the problem. A little bit too close. He got it up but couldn't get it down. Yeah, to go for that power and get it up and down is very difficult. It's almost like a half clip from there to beat the keeper. But he's tried the power and the dip. Here's Neymar and Mbappe. Modric has defending to do. Neymar manages to maintain his balance and then hits it straight at Nacho. Might well have been a thought in Neymar's mind that he could have gone over but he stayed on his feet and got the cross in. And now Isco can bring the ball the other way for a penalty area. It's Kroos with the delivery and straight to the goalkeeper from Sergio Ramos. He's only got the one goal this season, Ramos but he got 10 last season and he's such a factor from those positions. So dangerous. It's Kylian Mbappe giving Marcelo the slit. Cavani in the middle let it run for Neymar and then Rabiot and Paris Saint-Germain lead in the Bernabeu. It's not one of the big three. It's Adrian Rabiot with the goal. Left side with Neymar but it's Mbappe down the right-hand side who's put that ball in. Cavani makes a run to the near post you see and they get an overload. Rabiot doesn't really hit the box at all decides to go in and what a time to go in. He's made the spare man in the box. Madrid all over the place and he finishes it with the plumb. 4,000 in here from Paris tonight and this is how they took the lead clip. Yeah, it gets them in a good fortune but he's prepared to put the ball in early. Cavani goes with him look, they're all onside. Little dummy another little backflip and there's the extra man from midfield. Doesn't he finish it well? No, he just side-footed. Side-footed. Keeps his head. Namas goes down early but there's the overload. No one tracking him from midfield. It's the only time he's been in the penalty area and what a time to go in. I said they're slowly building their patterns of play and now it's all down to Madrid to stay cool and get back in this game. Moderate has had it taken off him here by Edinson Cavani. It's another goal conceded by Real Madrid and the team that can't stop scoring in all competitions have the lead in the Bernabeu. They're a multi-million pound team assembled for a very expensive price but it's a Parisian who came through the ranks of Paris. And that's on 2 HD from 7 o'clock. Here's Neymar for Paris Saint-Germain opens up a little bit for him into Edinson Cavani and deflected behind. What an opportunity for Paris Saint-Germain. Well, they're starting to carve them open again. You watch Neymar just use an overlap. There's a great overlap by the full-back. He uses it, comes inside and Cavani there is good defending again. But again, it's Madrid defends hard. Here's Kylian Mbappe. It's a foul on him by Toni Kroos who was injured in the process. PSG were just trying to take one a little bit quickly there. Dani Carvajal is the better attacking full-back. That's a mistake. It's Ronaldo! Well, you would expect him to do better. He had so much more time than I think even he realised. He did, yes. I think he did. And it's unusual. He's gone for power here. They give it away there. He's read it well. He's in there. You think there he's going to bend it. He's going to curl it in that far corner. He's just gone for power and again got over. Didn't get over the ball. It's just risen over that. Now Kroos. Time to turn. Pick out Marcelo. Ronaldo in the box. Here's Benzema! What a save by Ariela! Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper at full. Now Varane. Nacho in space out wide. Varane through desperation really with a shot from that kind of range. Kroos to Nacho. It's always on that ball, isn't it? Nacho to Modric. Benzema's waiting. Here's Nacho. And then Modric. And then cleared as far as Ronaldo. It was Varane with the initial clearance and then it took a little deflection I think on the way through. It's going to be a corner to Real Madrid but it was on to Ronaldo in a flash. That's a lovely little ball from Modric. Cuts it back. Nacho takes the strike. Comes to Modric. And look at that. Corner taken quickly. Here's Toni Kroos. Sets a penalty. No doubt about that one. Simple decision for the Italian referee. Again they've caught them on a short corner. They've caught Paris Knapp in again. It was a short corner. There he goes. Put his hands on him. There's no way you can do that. Look, there he is. Striked him down. 100% penalty. I think the question here is who so often has been the man on the big occasion for Real Madrid. Up steps Ronaldo. And scores with tremendous power. And the holders of the Champions League are level on the stroke of half-time through Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid won. Paris Saint-Germain won. Yeah, the top man's kept his head, didn't he? Drilled it low. What a time to get the equaliser as well just before half-time. There's Ronaldo. 100% penalty. Here he comes. Look. Wow. Power. Just went for power. No messing around with that one. I think the phrase is, Glenn, you don't save those. He just made a fantastic... Well, there's the half-time whistle. There was some fantastic football at times in the first 45 minutes. He had the big decision to make on the stroke of half-time. A Real Madrid standpoint and Julian Draxler and Angel Di Maria who'd love to make a mark on his return to the Bernabeu tonight available off the bench for Paris Saint-Germain. It really is an embarrassment of riches, Glenn, isn't it, on both sides here? Yeah, and I think as the game, you know, 20 minutes to go, I was on that pitch. And now play Toni Kroos in. Ronaldo steaming through the middle. Isco coming in on the far side. It's still Kroos and now Ronaldo and the last touch of Marquinhos. It's a corner. What a run from Ronaldo and it's a poor ball actually from Kroos. Now Verratti. Dani Alves. It's a wonderfully weighted ball. They're waiting in the middle. Alves. And then striking it was Rabiot. Vital blocking there by Sergio Ramos. Dani Alves has penalty. He's pleading with the extra official. He's convinced that that was blocked by the arm of the Real Madrid captain. Might see a different shape. Here's Mbappe. No doubt about the 4-3-3 for Paris Saint-Germain. Dani Alves with the ball in and Rafa Ferran took responsibility. He's lucky he didn't clear your lines but he likes to keep possession. Lo Celso had waited for the run of Neymar who's timed it to perfection and he tees up Kylian Mbappe who takes the touch and down went Navas with a really important save for Real Madrid. It's the first real sighted tonight that Mbappe's had. Now Kroos can bring the holders the other way. Cristiano Ronaldo on the move and Marquinhos who's got that extra gear of acceleration at times at the back was there again. A good pace from Marquinhos wasn't it? But there you see Ronaldo. This is the first one. Look this is the little ball they get themselves not in a straight line there. They're all over the place Madrid. A season, here's Kroos. Karim Benzema, Luka Modric promising here for Real Madrid. He's gone. Ronaldo looking to make some space. Arreola down quickly. Had to keep a hold of that didn't he? He certainly did didn't he? Brilliant skill again from Neymar. Panic wasn't it? It was panic defending. Again lovely skill and ability. Here's Luka Modric. So now Cristiano Ronaldo. Might be a little bit more emphasis for Ronaldo to roam around a little bit more. Now the Benzema's gone off. Here's Verratti. Now Meunier the substitute. Sends a good ball in. Really good defending by Nacho who is leaning on Neymar all the way in. When Paris are attacking them. Here's Neymar. Also one thing by taking Cavani off it does mean that when they get in wide positions Paris Saint-Germain there's not really anybody to cross it to. The referees took one there. Felt that didn't they the referee? Might want to stop the game here and just check he's okay because that certainly rattled the referee. Got him right on the side of the head. Lost a bit of balance Glenn since they made the change. Here's Neymar. Certainly provide the answer to that. And then for Chiché! And Dani Alves couldn't get there. By hand side gets right across doesn't he? Into that near post. You just feel Paris are just opening Madrid up too easily. There's the ball in that galley. In the corridor. Inches away. It's a lovely ball. It's a brilliant skill again from Neymar. Just sucking Nacho in. That's simulation. The Italian referee has no option does he? It's a foul. The pace of Mbappé could pose a problem. Dani Alves supporting out wide. Neymar through the middle. Here's Mbappé. And to run across smartly for Real Madrid. Good defending in the end because it was... Marcelo. Swept forward towards Gareth Bale. Here's Marcelo. Modric. Bale's on the run. Superbly found. And another down to Ronaldo. Marquinhos got the block on. They worked that really nicely Real Madrid. Again it was a beautiful ball wasn't it? From Modric. Bale prepared to run in behind. Look he's outside there. Stays onside. Beautiful little ball. Here Glenn. The testosterone's flowing out there. There are one or two who want to prove a point to others. Neymar being the prime example. They're all at it aren't they? There's drag backs. There's little Maradonas. There's Cruyffs. Everything's coming out tonight. Try this one for size. Weeps it out wide here to Vasquez. Asensio's doing Ronaldo in the middle. Bale on his way in the box as well. It's into Gareth Bale. Who tees it up. And it was Kimpembe. The surprise inclusion tonight at the expense of Thiago Silva with important defending for Paris Saint-Germain. Again you see Gareth Bale prepare to... The two centre backs. To be able to travel a long way. Kimpembe got his shot blocked in there. Desperate defending there from Real Madrid. The Isco working really hard. Here he lets it go. Here's Lo Celso. And now Kimpembe. Yuri Vachiche. Effectively to win it back. Now Modric. PSG on the back foot. Marco Asensio. Sends it right away through. It's gone in. It's Ronaldo. It's the big moment and it's the big man for Real Madrid. Who gets in that penalty. A bit fortuitous there though but you've got to say behind Paris. You think they were going to score earlier. Just before. Kept it alive. Won the ball back. Now Modric kept their head and they found themselves through all the ball in behind from Bale. What a lovely ball that was. There's the... Ronaldo working so hard. Good defending. You think they've cleared the danger. There's Modric just keeping his head. So this guy, Asensio again. Ronaldo looking, looking, looking. Bale trying to get the overlap. There's not much you can do about that. The keeper's made his save. He's had to get his hand on it. It's just hit him on the knee isn't it? He's reacted a little bit but he's on the spot. Goal down the ears for Real Madrid. There's Toni Kroos and now Marsella. Kroos. Marsella. Now Asensio. Ronaldo hovering in the middle. Pulled back. No, it got in to the Marquinhos. It's two great goals for Real Madrid and the holders are flexing their Champions League muscles. That's what you get when you get quality players and they'll... I've got to say nice little build up. No panic. There's Asensio again. He pulls it back and Marsella the left back finds himself in there. First time little deflection. Kylian Mbappé Rafa Ferran there. Mbappé's got in. Can he find the finish? Mbappé. Keylor Navas with a save. The angle was tight. I think Dani Alves was hoping to be teed up there. Yeah, he's having words with him now. He gets in that channel there and he is well. Real Madrid with Marco Asensio. Now Cristiano Ronaldo. Vázquez in the middle. Kroos is up there as well. Ronaldo wants the hat-trick and Areola keeps a hold of him. Here's Neymar. Now Julian Fraxler. Kylian Mbappé through the middle. Munier's got into the box as well. Fraxler's crossed. Neymar coming in and couldn't take the chance. Ramos does well. Just puts him off. Well, there's the full-time whistle, Glenn. And it's been a fantastic display of Champions League football by Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. It's disappointing.